The other week, somebody rang my apartment buzzer mid day. I answered and it was the yellow page guy, who wanted to be let in the building to litter yellow pages.
I told him we didn't want them and no one in the building used them. He left them outside our front door anyway.
What is your basis for saying "no one really uses yellow pages anymore"? Is it because you are young and technologically immersed? My mother uses the yellow pages; she doesn't have a computer or any online device. I'm not sure what the digital penetration of Seattle is, but it's probably only around 70% or so amongst the general population, even if it's 100% amongst the people you know. The people you know are not representative.
I'm not siding with the yellow pages. I'm just pointing out that The Stranger's coverage treats a couple of hundred thousand people here as if they didn't exist.
Last year at about this time I contacted all of the phone book distributors and told them that. They said I would be removed from their delivery lists.
This week a phone book was delivered to my door.
Does anyone know the address of the local distribution site is? I would like to take my phone book back and give it to them.
@3: fuck, I still use the yellow pages. Not regularly, but at least a couple of times a year.
I'm also not siding with the companies that make and distribute them and think everyone should be allowed to opt out, but for certain types of businesses, using the yellow pages is both faster and more efficient than the web. I would continue to opt in for now.
Lot's of blue collar trades do not have much of a web presence and if you want to do good comparison shopping, the layout and sorting provided by the old school books is far superior.
I just talked to Mike O'Brien's office and they gave me the name and phone number for the distributor of this particular phone book -- Super Media. The woman I talked to at O'Brien's office was very helpful and took down my info.
I then contacted the number for Super Media and spoke with the district manager.
He is having someone come out and pick up the phone books.
Also, he said I would be placed on their opt out list. Hopefully it works this time.
O'Brien's office number is 684-8800.
Give them a call if you get a phone book that you do not want.
There is no first amendment case. The phone book publisher has no first amendment protections on private property, and once a property owner/lessee has told them to stop it must stop. Whether the city runs the opt-out list or a letter is written or whatever, DOES NOT MATTER. Nobody is forced to use the preferred method of the advertiser when choosing to opt-out.
@12 by requiring groups by law to come back and pick up any materials they've dropped off that the receiver doesn't want, or to reimburse someone for the cost of returning them. You want to leave phonebooks/flyers/advertisements on my porch? That's fine, but if I don't want them you come back and pick them up the city fines you a substantial amount. Or leave them with the postage paid for them to be mailed back.
@12, Yeah, the problem here isn't blocking ANYONE from delivering pizza coupons or political materials or even biblical quotations to your door.
The problem is when we say we don't want them, and they're left anyway; when we call a phone number to be added to a list, and they're left anyway; and when we go online to their opt-out page, and they're left anyway.
What they refuse to admit is that the only way their business model works is if they print up a certain amount of books and deliver them.
@13 & @14
Hey, I agree with you both in theory... But in practice, @13, then you could stymie a political campaign by requesting all the material be picked up (even it it wasn't delivered), or @14, how do you write the law so that it doesn't target one group? Would there would have to be a pizza delivery opt-out list, too? How - in both cases, do you deal with apartment buildings? It may just be a little tricky in this case to get the ends desired without collateral damage.
Seriously, does anyone use those for anything? I maybe keep the fridge magnet for an emergency plumber, but most times never even open it.
The other week, somebody rang my apartment buzzer mid day. I answered and it was the yellow page guy, who wanted to be let in the building to litter yellow pages.
I told him we didn't want them and no one in the building used them. He left them outside our front door anyway.
I'm not siding with the yellow pages. I'm just pointing out that The Stranger's coverage treats a couple of hundred thousand people here as if they didn't exist.
Last year at about this time I contacted all of the phone book distributors and told them that. They said I would be removed from their delivery lists.
This week a phone book was delivered to my door.
Does anyone know the address of the local distribution site is? I would like to take my phone book back and give it to them.
I'm also not siding with the companies that make and distribute them and think everyone should be allowed to opt out, but for certain types of businesses, using the yellow pages is both faster and more efficient than the web. I would continue to opt in for now.
Lot's of blue collar trades do not have much of a web presence and if you want to do good comparison shopping, the layout and sorting provided by the old school books is far superior.
I then contacted the number for Super Media and spoke with the district manager.
He is having someone come out and pick up the phone books.
Also, he said I would be placed on their opt out list. Hopefully it works this time.
O'Brien's office number is 684-8800.
Give them a call if you get a phone book that you do not want.
The problem is when we say we don't want them, and they're left anyway; when we call a phone number to be added to a list, and they're left anyway; and when we go online to their opt-out page, and they're left anyway.
What they refuse to admit is that the only way their business model works is if they print up a certain amount of books and deliver them.
Hey, I agree with you both in theory... But in practice, @13, then you could stymie a political campaign by requesting all the material be picked up (even it it wasn't delivered), or @14, how do you write the law so that it doesn't target one group? Would there would have to be a pizza delivery opt-out list, too? How - in both cases, do you deal with apartment buildings? It may just be a little tricky in this case to get the ends desired without collateral damage.